[ALERT] Atlantic Station Publix to Close After Two Decades in Business

At year end, Publix will close its store at Atlantic Station.  The grocer informed employees Monday of their plans which reportedly caught many off guard.  Thankfully, the store will reportedly close after Christmas, but before New Years, potentially as soon as December 27.   

Photo via Sing Oil Blog 

The Lakeland, Fla.-based grocer opened alongside fellow anchors Dillard's, Regal Cinemas, DSW, and LA Fitness at the mixed-use development in 2005.  Research indicates the store (#1010) celebrated its grand opening October 27, 2005.

The Atlantic Station Publix is rather unique in many ways, some of which likely contributed to the grocer's decision to close the store.  The store is 30,312 square feet, small by Publix standards, with an atypical layout to boot.   Additionally, the store's primary customer parking was in a deck below the store, accessed primarily by a pair of elevators.  This is not unheard of in the grocery world, but ultimately limits customer purchasing to a degree, given the "hassle" it creates.  

Unlike rival Kroger, which has seemingly been closing more stores than it's opened or planning to open, Publix has for the most part continued to both add new stores and replace older stores with new, larger stores nearby.  

Most Publix stores of today are, like Kroger, bigger than they were 20 years ago.  Publix has added far more prepared food departments and other enhancements to its stores, with most now measuring at least 48,387 square feet and some, like the so-called "Clublix" store in Buckhead, measuring 54,965 square feet.  

In September, Publix opened a new store in Braselton that replaced an older and smaller store in an adjacent center.  The grocer has also been confirmed as an anchor tenant for Lulah Hills (the redevelopment of North DeKalb Mall), where it will replace the existing but "old" store at Shamrock Plaza.  

The grocer was also announced in October to be anchoring the new Woodstock Mill District project in Woodstock where Publix will return to the market with a 46,791 square foot store.  We say return as Publix previously closed its smaller format store at Shops at Buckhead Crossing (1430 Towne Lake Parkway).  The 28,800 square foot store was later occupied by Tuesday Morning, but today, after Publix finally released its leasehold on the space, is occupied by Sprouts Farmers Market.   

The leasehold could come into play in Atlantic Station.  It's unclear where in their lease the grocer was or if they had term remaining on any existing lease.  If they were mid-lease, they could continue paying "dead rent" to box out any prospective rival grocer from backfilling their space. (Both Publix and Kroger have done similar things in metro Atlanta and elsewhere in years past.)    

Publix's decision to close at Atlantic Station is especially surprising when you consider that the company ultimately did not open their planned store at phase two of The Interlock on nearby Northside Drive.  After Publix pulled out of the project, the landlord ultimately pivoted to discount grocer Lidl, which opened their new store this past October.  (A Kroger that was planned at Northside Drive & 17th Street, essentially behind IKEA, was later abandoned with Kroger selling their land for multifamily development.)   

Following Publix's closure, there will still be a Target at Atlantic Station for many, but certainly not all, grocery needs.  The next closest Publix stores will be at The Plaza Midtown (1.5 miles away) and Howell Mill Village (2.5 miles away).  

If you're a retail nerd or just super curious about the Atlantic Station Publix, we highly recommend checking out this blog post for easily one of the most fascinating and thorough critiques of the store. 

Are you surprised to see Publix close at Atlantic Station?  If you live nearby, where do you do the majority of your grocery shopping?  What would you most like to see open in place of Publix at Atlantic Station?

Please share your thoughts below.